1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biological specimen collection device, and more particularly, concerns such a device which may be employed in the collection of sputum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to perform various tests on biological specimens, particularly biological fluids or fluid-based specimens such as urine, blood, sputum and the like, these specimens must first be collected in a suitable container. Primarily the collection container should have the appropriate configuration and features to not only conveniently collect the biological specimen, but also allow the specimen to be easily and properly transported to the area of test or analysis. While the configuration of the specimen collection device should be designed and fabricated to make the collection procedure convenient, handling of the specimen collection device prior to, during and subsequent to its use is a major concern.
For example, if the specimen to be collected is sputum, the patient from whom the sputum is to be collected is often times suspected of having, and indeed does have, a pulmonary infection, disease or other pulmonary disorder. The specimen collection device should be sterile prior to the collection of the biological specimen so that the testing and analysis of the collected specimen accurately portrays the condition of the patient. Handling of the specimen collection device during the specimen collection procedure and subsequent transport of the specimen should be considered in the design and fabrication thereof so that the risk of spreading infection is minimized.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,164 to Andelin et al. takes into account many of the above-mentioned concerns. The Andelin et al. collection system further provides a graduated elongated specimen receptacle which may also be used as a centrifuge and diagnostic test tube. By collecting the specimen directly into such elongated receptacle, there is no need to transfer the specimen to another container for subsequent testing and analysis. It is, of course, apparent that eliminating this transfer step should increase the safety of handling the specimen container and thereby minimize the risk of spreading infection of other contamination. The Andelin et al. collection system, however, relies upon an outer protective body which is preferably made of a rigid material which supports the specimen collection funnel and contributes toward supporting the elongated receptacle in a vertical position. This outer protective body adds weight, bulk, expense and user complexity to the specimen collection system which, collectively, could be somewhat disadvantageous.
An improved biological specimen collection and transport system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,498 to Schlesinger. While Schlesinger includes many elements and features similar to Andelin et al., Schlesinger further includes a flexible outer protective covering enclosing the specimen receptacle. Schlesinger indicates that this protective covering prevents contamination of the outer surface of the specimen receptacle by a biological specimen during introduction of that specimen into the receptacle. Further, Schlesinger includes a cap removably attached to the periphery of the receptacle. This cap is included so that it may be placed on top of the open end of the receptacle after the biological specimen has been collected. Due to the positioning of the cap of Schlesinger's invention, it is possible that the cap, when detached from the periphery of the receptacle, could become contaminated. Subsequent placement of this cap on top of the receptacle after use could then contaminate the contents inside the receptacle, thus producing a possibility of distorted testing and analysis.
Therefore, there is still a need for improvements in biological specimen collection devices to make these devices more convenient to use and less expensive to manufacture, while assuring that the handling of these devices prior to, during and subsequent to the specimen collection will be performed with minimal risk of spreading infection to the users or contaminating the contents collected therein.